Jak Katarikawe (Ugandan, born 1938)
Catwalk Dreams, circa 1991-1992
Signed ‘JAK. KATARIKAWE’ (lower left)
Oil on paper
73 x 100 cm
Ksh 600,000-700,000
(US$ 6,200-7,200)
Bought In
Provenance: private collection of Graham and Sara Alder
Jak Katarikawe grew up in rural south west Uganda and is now one of East Africa’s best-known artists. As political oppression intensified in Uganda, Katarikawe relocated in 1981 to Nairobi, where he became one of the small group of artists to gain exposure through Ruth Schaffner of Gallery Watatu.
Combining painting and storytelling, Katarikawe’s emotive portrayals of the dramas and dreams of village life have received international acclaim and been an inspiration to generations of young artists.
Extensively collected, Katarikawe’s paintings have been exhibited in Africa, Europe and the USA. Recently, they have been featured at the annual Bonhams, Africa Now auction in London.
This work was exhibited in the Kenya Art Panorama at the French Cultural Centre in 1992 where it was seen by the current owners, who then purchased the painting directly from the artist. At his studio, Katarikawe described to them how he was inspired in this composition by models parading down a catwalk.